Rationing Challenge - Day 7

Chicken wasn't rationed, but it was also nearly impossible to get. Rabbit became a more popular meat, though mainly people tried to disguise it as chicken. I already had some chicken thigh in the freezer, and so in the interests of not wasting food, we had chicken today. Plus the idea of rabbit makes me a little squeamish. Maybe next week!

Breakfast

Bacon Turnovers, made last night.

Tea; milk

Lunch

Chicken and vegetable pie, with potato pastry; mashed potato; broccoli; gravy

Steamed Eggless Syrup Sponge with Custard

Tea
Eggy bread & honey
Leftovers

Remaining Rations 

Sugar - 2lb 30oz 28.8oz 28.15oz 26.65oz 26.15oz 24.15oz 22.05oz

Margarine - 1lb 12oz 9.5oz 6.4oz

Bacon/Ham - 12oz 11.75oz 10.5oz 9.3oz 7.8oz 4oz FINISHED

Cheese - 11oz 9oz 7.05oz 5.55oz 5.05oz 4.75oz FINISHED

Lard - 6oz 4.8oz 3.8oz 2.5oz 1oz FINISHED
Vegetable Suet - 2oz 1.25oz FINISHED

Tea - 4oz 3.9oz 3oz 2.6oz 2oz 1.5oz 1oz 0.45oz

Meat - 24oz 7oz FINISHED

Butter - 8oz 7.5oz 7.25oz 5.5oz 5.35oz 4.2oz 3.25oz 2.5oz

Milk - 20pints 18.25pints 16pints 13.4pints 11.1pints 9.1pints 6.9pints 4.15pints

Sweets/Chocolate - 12oz 11.8oz 10.6oz 8.6oz 7.1oz 5.6oz 4.6oz

Marmalade - 1lb 14.5oz 13.7oz 12.7oz 12.1oz

Jam - 8oz 6.95oz 6.7oz 5.95oz 5.55oz 5.3oz

Eggs - 8 7 5 3 1

So, after the first week on rations, we still have quite a bit of our allotted amounts left. We've used up all of our meat, fat, and cheese though, which I suspected we would. I'm not surprised that we still have milk left. I tried to get a pint a day into the girls - their allotted amount - but didn't always manage it. And we used less than 10oz sugar - with some of the foods made using it still to be eaten. This is quite encouraging, having been considering quitting sugar recently - I now know we can definitely eat less without feeling deprived. I thought we would use all the eggs, but I think I was being over cautious at times. I haven't felt too much like we're missing out. Mince & gravy four days in a row wasn't as monotonous as it could have been, but it took a bit of creativity.

I don't know how the women of the War era did it. It's exhausting having to be constantly aware of how much of this and that is being used; making sure nothing gets wasted; trying to make meals interesting without so many ingredients. I feel like I've been thinking about, or preparing, food constantly. Next week I need to be a lot more organised!